What we’re highlighting
Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster antitrust trial starts
The top two publishers want to merge, but the U.S. Department of Justice is intervening. The trial between the DOJ against Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster started this week in Washington, D.C.
The DOJ accuses the publishers of creating a monopoly that will lead to less competition and lower advances for best-selling authors. That means fewer books will sell. The publishers argue they will compete better by joining forces. A lot of publishing lingo is being thrown into the mix for the trial that may extend another week or two.
‘From Scratch’ memoir gets new story on Netflix
A book-to-TV adaptation of the inspiring memoir by actress Tembi Locke is coming to Netflix. From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home explores Tembi’s relationship with her late husband from their meeting in Sicily to Tembi returning to Sicily from Los Angeles after her husband’s death to grieve with his family and find her footing.
Streaming Oct. 21, the Netflix miniseries will be a similar story given to fictional characters played by Zoe Saldana and Eugenio Mastrandrea. Tembi and her mystery novelist-screenwriter sister Attica Locke also serve as co-creators and producers teaming up for this project with celebrity book-to-screen queen Reese Witherspoon and her production company Hello Sunshine.
Ayesha Curry, Zando Books announce self-help imprint
Zando Books is partnering with cookbook author Ayesha Curry to launch an imprint called Sweet July Books. The imprint will focus on acquiring books that focus on “faith, family, food and female empowerment.” Ayesha, also known as a restaurateur and wife to basketball star Stephen Curry, runs the Sweet July lifestyle brand that includes her restaurant, curated shop, and magazine of the same name.
